Degrees & Certificates

Jonathan Appel, Ph.D.

Dr. Jonathan Appel has worked in the field of behavioral health for almost three decades. He has worked with individuals, groups, families, and organizations as a counselor, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, director of behavioral health services, consultant, researcher, department chair, and educator. He is currently a full professor in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, within the School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences at Tiffin University.

Dr. Appel studied Media and Communications at Cleveland State University and did some work in college Radio at WCSB (Cleveland State University) and WKSR (Kent State University) and has since dabbled in internet radio.

Dr. Appel received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kent State University, a Master’s Degree in Community-Clinical Counseling from Kent State University, a second Master’s of Science in Criminal Justice/Homeland Security Administration (Tiffin University), and a Ph.D. in Counseling (sub-specializing both in Marriage and Family Therapy and Organizational Psychology) from The University of Akron. He also has received a Graduate Certificate degree from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.

Dr. Appel is a Diplomate in Psychotherapy and is a Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, a Certified Career Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, as well as an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Professional. He has also received training as Certified Red Cross Mental Health Disaster Worker and a Behavioral Health Disaster Responder to State Disaster, Emergency and Terrorist Events. He is certified in the Psychology of Terrorists by the American Psychotherapy Association.

Dr. Appel is also currently licensed as an Independent Marriage and Family Therapist, a Supervising Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor, a Supervising Professional Clinical Counselor, and had been licensed as a Social Worker.

Dr. Appel has worked with a diverse range of populations/problems which include persons diagnosed with developmental disabilities, severe mental illness, and substance use disorders. He has designed, managed, and worked in clinical programs that have included services for the severe mentally ill, child, couple, and family therapy interventions, substance abuse assessment and treatment, dual diagnosis, forensic treatment, NGRIs (not guilty by reason of insanity), sex offenders, court-ordered mental health, addiction, anger management /violence prevention services, career counseling, community crisis/trauma response team interventions, and employee assistance program (EAP) services. He also has assisted in training police officers as part of Community Involvement Training (CIT) -- a joint mental health and criminal justice practice initiative. He has also provided counseling and psychotherapy in a private practice setting.

Dr. Appel’s professional memberships have included the American Psychological Association, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), the International Association of Addiction and Offender Counselors, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Forensic Counselors, the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, as well as a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. He also has been an executive board member of the National Organization for Human Services, serving as its Education Chair.

Dr. Appel has presented papers and training sessions regionally, nationally, and internationally in such topics as workplace violence, family violence, mindfulness, substance abuse & mental illness, the psychology of terrorism, and Therapeutic Jurisprudence.

He has also taught at The University of Akron, Old Dominion University (Virginia), and as part of a faculty exchange program at The University of Kitakyushu in Kitakyushu, Japan. He has done research and/or applied work with organizations around stress, trauma/violence in the workplace, family violence, employee burnout, issues related to family-work balance, and the applications of “mindfulness” to psychotherapy.

Dr. Appel also has co-authored a training curriculum in Domestic Violence for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is currently on the editorial board for the International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction, and is a peer reviewer for the Family Relations Journal and the Open Social Sciences Journal. He has been published in such peer-reviewed publications as the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, the Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, and the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. He has also co-authored numerous book chapters. His research, scholarship, and presentations have included such topics as Therapeutic Jurisprudence, family violence, workplace violence, the mentally ill offender, the psychology of terrorism, the psychology of religion, personality development, creativity, cultural competency, and international issues in behavioral health.

Elizabeth Athaide-Victor, Ph.D.

Professor of Forensic Psychology and Psychology

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Anna Maria College

M.A., Middle Tennessee State University

Ph.D., University of Toledo

Elizabeth Athaide-Victor, Ph.D.

Dr. Victor began her career with a plan to consistently combine academics and applied service because she truly believes that one cannot teach without "doing". As a result, she has been able to monitor both the extension of her field in academia, as well as its application in the real world. She feels this best enables her to educate her students, and prepare them for the challenges they will encounter in their careers. During all levels of her own education, Dr. Victor has worked in the field.

Born and raised in Southeastern Massachusetts, in the late 1970s she started working for the Department of Youth Services (DYS) for the States of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. After leaving DYS, she worked in Boston for a suicide prevention center. During college, both undergraduate and graduate, Dr. Athaide-Victor also worked for a juvenile lock-up facility, a hunger-relief program, and volunteered in programs specializing in mental retardation, autism and in substance abuse rehabilitation programs.

As part of her pre-Doctoral program, Dr. Victor studied with Dr. Lawrence Kohlberg at Harvard University, doing research on moral reasoning and attribution of responsibility. Dr. Victor also worked for several years at a Sleep Disorders Center, a Community Mental Health Center, and a Sexual Disorders Center, all located in Toledo.

Dr. Victor joined the faculty of Tiffin University in 1989. She has conducted abundant research on jury behavior, jury cognitive processing, child sexual abuse litigation, toxic tort litigation, juror competence, and juror bias. Dr. Victor was the first Dean of the School of Criminal Justice. She belongs to several professional organizations including the American Psychological Association, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the Association for Women in Psychology, the Association of Hispanic Psychologists, and the American Society of Criminology. She is a Board Certified Forensic Examiner.

Dan Bell, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Mathematics

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Earlham College

M.A., University of Colorado at Boulder

Ph.D., American University

Dan Bell, Ph.D.

Dr. Bell began his teaching career at community and four-year colleges in Massachusetts, including a long stint at Springfield Technical Community College. After two years as a materials handler in a plastic bottle factory, he returned to school for a degree in Mathematics Education, focusing on how to help students learn mathematics at the college level. His specific interest is in geometrical and graphical methods of teaching mathematics.

Dr. Bell is a member of the Mathematics Association of America, the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Matthew Bereza, Ph.D.

Department Chair Social Sciences Undergraduate Seated

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Hiram College

M.A., Heidelberg College

M.Ed., Heidelberg College

Ph.D., The Ohio State University

Matthew Bereza, Ph.D.

Dr. Bereza is an Associate Professor of Psychology within the School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences. Before joining Tiffin University, Dr. Bereza worked with bilingual students and clients in Ohio and his native New York. He has several years of clinical experience working with Spanish-speaking populations both in and out of the helping professions. In addition, he has worked with area mental health agencies as a social worker, translator, emergency mental health therapist, and licensed counselor.

During his time at Ohio State, Dr. Bereza worked as a graduate assistant for the Office for Disability Services, where he counseled and assessed students with learning disabilities. In addition, he has worked for several years as a Psychologist's Assistant both in schools and clinics.

Dr. Bereza's teaching interests include honors psychology; Peace and Social Justice; Latin American Studies; abnormal psychology; social psychology; drugs and society; history and systems of psychology; qualitative research methods; professional practice and the writing process in psychology; and developmental psychology.

Currently, Dr. Bereza is conducting research on how psychology and nutrition intersect to promote community health. He is a proponent of innovative research methods such as collaboration with individuals from across the academy to present the scientific method as open to all students and community members. Presently, Bereza is working with a certified organic farm to study how Direct to Vendor routes influence positive community health, and has presented these data nationally and internationally. In addition, Dr. Bereza actively researches and studies in Latin America, bringing first-hand data from the field to the Tiffin community.

On campus, you can find Dr. Bereza working as faculty advisor to the Latin American Student Organization; chairing the University's Green Committee; taking part in the University Curriculum Committee; and assisting on the Institutional Review Board for research and ethics at Tiffin University. When not working he enjoys music, volleyball, baking, and riding his bike.

Scott Blough

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Security Studies

Executive Director of Center for Cyber Defense

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Mount Vernon Nazarene College

M.S., Tiffin University

Scott Blough

Professor Scott Blough (CISSP) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Security Studies at Tiffin University, where he specializes in policy development, corrections, international crime, terrorism, and cyber defense. Professor Blough has authored numerous publications on international justice and corrections issues and consults on justice policy, prison and jail design, security, and technology application in justice. His publications include : "Mental Illness and Crime", 21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook (2009);"Sheriffs", Encyclopedia of Criminology (2005); and "The Standards and Accreditation Approach to Professionalizing Jails", Key Correctional Issues (2008).

Prior to this appointment, Professor Blough served as the Chief of the Bureau of Adult Detention in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, where he had oversight of over 250 jails throughout Ohio. Professor Blough wrote the Minimum Standards for Jails in Ohio, which are the administrative rules governing jail operations in Ohio. Professor Blough also served as a lieutenant on the Marion (Ohio) Police Department, where he conducted numerous gang, drug, and gambling investigations. He supervised a multi-jurisdictional gambling task force and successfully investigated and prosecuted the two largest embezzlement cases in Marion’s history. He has been a featured lecturer for the National Institute of Corrections; South Carolina Gang Investigators Association; Ohio Community Corrections Association; Southwest Ohio Information Technology Association; National Association of Government Archives and Records Association; Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association; Criminal Justice Facilities Planning and Management Conference; Ohio Jail Administrator’s annual conference; and the National Sheriffs Association.

Professor Blough was also a featured speaker in Romania, where he lectured on developing standards for adult and juvenile incarceration and probation. In addition to the aforementioned presentations, Professor Blough has consulted on numerous physical security projects in large metropolitan areas.

Steven Borawski

Department Chair BHV & SS Graduate Programs

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Lake Erie College

M.A., Bowling Green State University

Steven Borawski

For his undergraduate, Steven went to Lake Erie College, a small private liberal arts institution where he obtained his BS in psychology. After that, he received his masters degree from Bowling Green State University with a specialization in cognitive neuroscience. Once grad school was over, Steven went to work in the Lab of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience in Boston University School of Medicine where his focus was on autism research. Everything changed once he had the opportunity to teach a few classes for Bay State College and loved it. His journey then took him to Anne Arundel Community College as a full time faculty member in psychology. After four years at AACC, Steven came across a new venture in learning at Tiffin University that he could not pass up.

Steven's philosophy is that he and his students are on an educational journey together. He's there to be their guide and to provide them with the tools they require to get where they need to be. He does take his classroom and the learning environment it provides very seriously and wants to create a space to give everyone the opportunity to grow. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline but the rewards are great.

Aaron Burton, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Communication

Chair, Humanities Programs

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Ohio University

M.A., University of Findlay

Ph.D., Bowling Green State University

Aaron Burton, Ph.D.

Dr. Aaron Burton, Assistant Professor of Communications, earned a Ph.D. in Communication Studies, Foci: Rhetoric & Religion from Bowling Green State University. He earned a Master of Arts in Education from University of Findlay, a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Ohio University, and an Associate of Arts with concentration in Social Sciences also from Ohio University.

Since coming to Tiffin University he has served on The School of Arts & Sciences Internship Committee and will hold the position of Chair of Humanities Department beginning in the 2014 Academic Year.

Prior to becoming a faculty member at Tiffin University, Dr. Burton taught for nine years in Communications at Bowling Green State University in the Department of Communication and at Owens Community College. At Bowling Green State University, he was Assistant Basic Course Direction in the School of Communication Studies.

Dr. Burton has written Jesus in the Movies: A Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Films from 1912-2004, Published by Edwin Mellen (2004). He has attended and presented at numerous workshops and national conferences. He has served for eight years as an editorial board member for the Ohio Communication Journal. He is very active in several professor organizations and is a member of the National Communication Association, Central States Communication Association, Ohio Communication Association, Religious Communication Association, Graduate Communication, and the Midwest Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association.

Brian Burton

Instructor of Biochemistry

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., University of Tennessee

M.S., Rush University Medical Center

Brian Burton

Brian earned his Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology from University of Tennessee, Knoxville. After working as a lab researcher at the University of California, Davis, and an assistant winemaker in Virginia, has earned his Master of Science in Pharmacology from Rush University Medical School, Chicago.

Prior to becoming a faculty member at Tiffin University, he has been passionately involved in teaching and collaborating with the science community. He has written and researched extensively on the interaction of the immune system with the nervous system.

He has written: Brain Inflammation Associated with Forced Abstinence from Methamphetamine Self-Administration (2014).

Kevin Cashen

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., The Ohio State University

M.C.J., The University of Alabama

M.A., The Naval Postgraduate School

Kevin Cashen

Assistant Professor Kevin Cashen teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in criminal justice and homeland security and has actively been involved in online learning. Mr. Cashen earned a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from The Ohio State University, a Master of Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama and a Master of Arts in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense) through the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Assistant Professor Cashen started his career in criminal justice as a correctional worker with the Lucas County Department of Work Release in 1983 and retired in August 2009 as the Chief of Police with the Norwalk Police Department. Mr. Cashen held various positions within the Norwalk Police Department to include patrol officer, detective, sergeant, captain, executive officer and chief. Assistant Professor Cashen attended the FBI National Academy and is a Certified Law Enforcement Executive through the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. Assistant Professor Cashen is a member of various local and state boards and committees.

Gene Chintala, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Political Science

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Elmira College

M.S., West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Ph.D., Bowling Green State University

Gene Chintala, Ph.D.

Dr. Chintala came to Tiffin University as the Dean of Freshmen in the Fall of 2000. Previously, he filled in as acting Director of Career Development in the Fall of 1999. Dr. Chintala currently teaches courses in political science and history at Tiffin University. His research area is with the Truman Commission on Higher Education and Post-War education policy. He also does research on popular culture and college students. He has presented at several national conferences regarding his research and on popular culture.

He also serves a dual administrative role as the Dean of Advising and Retention, overseeing the advising for undergraduate students and promoting programs that increase the retention of students. Dr. Chintala is a member of the American College Personnel Association where he serves on the Directorate for Academic Success in Higher Education, the History of Education Society, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and the National Academic Advising Association.

He has worked in a variety of positions in academic and student affairs including residence life, career development, student activities, international student services, orientation, academic advising, judicial affairs, and admissions and recruiting. Dr. Chintala also worked with the Adult Learner Focus of the College Student Personnel (CSP) Program at Bowling Green State University, where he taught and recruited in the graduate CSP program. He has also taught at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Brandon Clay

Assistant Professor of English and American Literature

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Hiram College

M.A., Miami University

Brandon Clay

Brandon Clay joined the faculty of Tiffin University in 2012. He went to graduate school at Miami University and did his undergraduate work at Hiram College, where he played varsity soccer and tennis. Prior to coming to TU, Professor Clay held teaching positions at Miami University and Ohio University. He also taught high school English for several years. He has presented papers at national and international conferences, and his current research focuses on antebellum African American literature.

Kristina Collins, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Management

Vice Provost Academic Excellence, Distinctiveness and Effectiveness

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D.

M.S. Ed., Indiana University

B.A., Indiana University

A.A.S., Purdue University

Kristina Collins, Ph.D.

Professor Collins holds dual roles as School of Business Director and also as Assistant Professor of Management at Tiffin University, with teaching concentrations in Supply Chain Management and Human Resource Management. Her previous 17 years of university teaching were primarily in Indiana. She has also coordinated and led International Study trips for both undergraduate and graduate students to Russia, Europe, China, and Central America.

Her experience as an Administrative Director at the university level has focused in the areas of Organizational Development & Training, Curriculum Development, and Academic Outcomes Assessment. She is currently completing her PhD in Business Administration with her doctoral research focusing on economic development and global leadership.

Professor Collins serves as President-elect of ACBSP’s (Accreditation Council of Business Schools & Programs) Great Lakes Council Region 4, as well as an ACBSP Peer Evaluator, since 2013. To contribute to the body of research for quality and continuous improvement in higher education, she has presented at several ACBSP conferences, most recently in Athens, Greece and Philadelphia, PA.

As a consultant and practitioner, she also has earned a Six Sigma Green Belt which is utilized in working with organizations to develop and implement continuous improvement programs. Professional certifications include Achieve Global and Covey programs. Her professional awards include the Presidential Award for Outstanding Evening Division Faculty of the Year (2002) as well as the Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow Award as the SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) faculty advisor (2006-2008).

Erin P. Dean, Ph.D.

Associate Professor & Assistant Dean for Social Sciences

Outcomes Assessment Program Review

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Kent State University in Psychology

M.Ed., Kent State University in Community Counseling

Ph.D., Kent State University in Counselor Education and Supervision

Erin P. Dean, Ph.D.

Prior to coming to Tiffin University in 2006, Dr. Dean taught courses for Bowling Green State University and Kent State University. In addition to her teaching experience, she served as the Project Director at Kent State University (KSU) for a $3.5 million dollar National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) HIV prevention program for inner-city women grant. Dr. Dean is also a supervising licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC-S) in the state of Ohio. Over the past 16 years, she has had a variety of community mental health experiences including work with couples, families, and children at Family Solutions in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS at AIDS Holistic Services in Akron, Ohio, and with clients with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) at Harbor Behavioral Healthcare in Toledo, Ohio. In addition to being full time faculty at Tiffin University, Dr. Dean continues to see clients one evening per week in her community.

Her research interests and areas of specialization include HIV/AIDS, sexuality and gender issues, and working with clients with a dual diagnosis. She has served as a reviewer on a Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia to evaluate the scientific merit of grant proposals received in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) for community based HIV prevention programs and as a reviewer for proposals submitted for presentation at the American counseling Association (ACA) annual conference.

Her passion for clinical work, ensuring that clients receive the highest level of care, and her desire to mentor students, are the driving forces behind her decision to transition into the academic community. In her decade at TU, she has served as the first Director of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the faculty advisor to SPECTRUM, as a faculty sport sponsor to the women's soccer team, as the chair of the American College and University President's Climate Commitment Committee, as a member on various other university committees, and currently, as the department chair for the seated undergraduate social and behavioral sciences department. Above all else, she enjoys her role as a counselor educator and helping to train ethical and competent future addictions counselors.

Thomas Debbink, Ph.D.

Professor of Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Albion College

M.S., Kettering University

Ph.D., University of Cincinnati

Thomas Debbink, Ph.D.

As do most of his colleagues, Dr. Debbink has a thorough grounding in his topic, both academically and professionally. Prior to beginning his doctoral education in 1992, Dr. Debbink worked for General Motors for 13 years. His experience was largely in Manufacturing and Quality Engineering, but also included significant assignments in Salaried Personnel Administration and Purchasing. As a Certified Quality Engineer, Dr. Debbink worked with over 100 of the Division’s suppliers to remedy specific quality issues and improve the overall performance of their manufacturing systems. Dr. Debbink has also served as a consultant to NCR Corporation, the United States Navy and General Motors.

Academically, Dr. Debbink’s interests are in corporate governance, deception within organizations, and make-buy decision making. His dissertation explored the motivations behind the decision to outsource components in the auto industry. He is a member of the Academy of Management and has presented papers at numerous conferences. Dr. Debbink teaches Strategic Management undergraduate and graduate courses in Tiffin, and graduate courses in the school’s EMBA curriculum in Bucharest, Romania.

Off campus, Dr. Debbink is a twenty-plus year member of Rotary International and serves on the Board of the Foundation of the Tiffin Rotary Club. He is a licensed pilot who enjoys introducing his students to the joys of flying. He and his wife, also a teacher, live on Catawba Island where they enjoy sailing and oenology.

Tonia Duncum

Assistant Professor of Physics

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, University of Illinois

M.S., in Civil Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Tonia Duncum

Professor Tonia Duncum, Assistant Professor of Physics, earned her Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and her Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois. She joined Tiffin University in the fall of 2015 as an adjunct instructor before being hired fulltime in 2016. Prior to becoming a faculty member at Tiffin University, Professor Duncum taught for 16 years in the areas of engineering, physics and mathematics at Lake Land College in Illinois. She also brings experience as a middle school teacher for gifted children.

Outside of Tiffin University, Professor Duncum volunteers with Celebrate Recovery, and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband.

Lacy Ellis, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor & Assistant Dean for Criminal Justice

CJSS Internship Coordinator

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.C.J., Tiffin University

M.S., Tiffin University

Ph.D. Walden University

Lacy Ellis, Ph.D.

Dr. Lacy Ellis holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Tiffin University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University focusing her studies on women in law enforcement. Dr. Ellis comes to Tiffin University with previous teaching experience in both online, hybrid, and traditional seated classes.

Before pursuing academics, Dr. Ellis received her OPOTA Certification and served in a variety of positions within the criminal justice community. She started her career as an undercover narcotics agent working cases from street level to deep cover operations. She served as an intelligence specialist, training at the DEA Academy in Quantico, Virginia, receiving the Federal Law Enforcement Analytical Training Certification. She also has experience in death investigation working as an investigator for Wayne County Coroner's Office. Dr. Ellis currently holds her commission with a local police department and works as a patrolman from time to time. She is an ALICE Certified Instructor and conducts trainings for Active Shooter Response.

Dr. Ellis is a member of the American Society for Public Administration. Her research interests include the psychological effects of law enforcement, gender studies in law enforcement, motherhood and policy, active shooter response, and physical fitness. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband Charles, also in law enforcement, and their three children, Hunter, Olivia and Rayne.

Andrew Faber

Assistant Professor of Accounting

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

M.B.A. Tiffin University

B.B.A. Tiffin University

Andrew Faber

Professor Faber has been an adjunct since 2010, and became full-time faculty Fall of 2014. Before joining Tiffin University full-time, Professor Faber spent 10 years with Fruth & Company, PLL CPA’s, in their Tiffin, Ohio office, including serving as manager for 2 years. At Fruth & Company he had many areas of expertise, primarily, those areas were individual and corporate tax preparation, financial statement preparation, auditing, accounting software consultation and implementation, and business start-ups, acquisitions, and dispositions.

Professor Faber received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tiffin University, and was a four-year letter winner on the University’s Football team from 1999 to 2002. Professor Faber is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the Ohio Society of CPA’s. He also serves as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Seneca, Sandusky, and Wyandot Counties, and is a board member of the Seneca County Revolving Loan Fund.

Professor Faber, along with his wife Andrea, who is Tiffin University’s Director of Financial Aid, reside in Tiffin, Ohio along with their three daughters, Scarlett, Savannah, and Stella.

Ana Paula Fantini, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science & Biology

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D., Physiology, Kent State

M.A., Union College

B.S., Union College

B.S., Union College

Ana Paula Fantini, Ph.D.

Professor Fantini obtained double major in Physical Education and Sports Management, minors in Health and General Business, and a master's degree in Health and Physical Education from Union College. She earned her Ph.D. in Physiology from Kent State University. She started her teaching career in 2007 as an adjunct instructor for the Health, Kinesiology, and Physical Education Department at Lincoln Memorial University. In 2010 her teaching career continued at Tiffin University. She taught classes for the School of Business in Sports Management as she developed the major in Exercise Science for Tiffin University. Currently, Professor Fantini oversees and teaches the major in Exercise Science for the School of Arts & Sciences.

Danielle Foster, Ed.D.

Associate Professor of Marketing

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

Ed.D., Leadership and Policy Studies, Bowling Green State University

M.B.A., Bluffton University

B.A., Bluffton University

Danielle Foster, Ed.D.

Danielle earned her Doctorate at Bowling Green State University. Her dissertation was titled K-12 Private School Leaders Perceptions of Enrollment Management and Marketing Planning. She also holds an MBA and a Bachelor Degree from Bluffton University. Her areas of expertise include marketing, leadership and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Prior to entering academia, Danielle had numerous years of sales and marketing management experience in the pharmaceutical and health care industry. She served as an accomplished sales professional known for delivering strong profit gains in highly competitive markets. She has a proven ability to recognize and capitalize on market trends and assume bottom-line responsibility for strategic planning, pricing, and market research. In addition to her industry experience she has several years of combined adjunct teaching experience in both seated and online platforms within the Degree Completion Program at Tiffin University, The University of Findlay and Brown Mackie College. In 2006 she was the recipient of the Iota Phi Theta “I have a Dream” Award and received the Certificate of Excellence for outstanding leadership and valued contributions from the Lima Affiliate of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. Danielle was one of the Founding members of the Lima Points of Pride Coalition, a non-profit, non-partisan group of community leaders that raised money to tear down abandoned homes in the Lima/Allen county area. She was subsequently awarded the Pioneer award presented by Iota Phi Theta fraternity to recognize her leadership contributions in the Lima community. She is currently on the board of education at Lima Central Catholic High School. In addition to her work in academia she owns and operates a marketing consulting firm.

Owen Fritz

Instructor of Computer Information Systems

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

M.B.A., Tiffin University

B.B.A., Tiffin University

A.A.B., Terra State Community College

CFOT, Certified Fiber Optics Technician

MOS, Microsoft Office Specialist

Owen Fritz

Professor Owen Fritz began with Tiffin University in the Fall of 2015 as an affiliate professor for the School of Business in the areas of Computer Information Systems and Economics. In the Spring of 2018, he became a full-time faculty member within the Computer Information Systems program. Owen is proud to have worked alongside Dr. George Miller in bringing Microsoft Office Certification programs to Tiffin University so that students can display the skills acquired from the University as they enter the workplace. Owen is continuing his educational journey by pursuing his Ph.D., in Business Administration with a specialization in Management Information Systems from Northcentral University. His research interests include Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT) & Generation Z, Technological Social Responsibility, and Office Applications in the Workplace.

Before academia, Owen has worked a variety of different jobs that have allowed him to develop a wealth of knowledge to pass on to students entering the field. Professor Fritz is a graduate of Tiffin University and is proud to be a #dragonforlife! Outside of the University, he has many different passions and interests that keep him involved in the community. One passion is weather, and Owen is responsible for the Sandusky County Skywarn (Storm Spotters) program that falls under the Sandusky County Emergency Management Agency. Also, he is an Asst. Emergency Coordinator for the Sandusky County Amateur Radio Emergency Service program that is back up communications when disasters should occur. Owen also is an avid fan of basketball as he can see him at most Dragon home games working scoring at the table and he also is a scorekeeper for a local boys’ basketball program.

Vinnie Gajjala, Ph.D.

Professor of Economics & Finance

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Madras Christian College

M.A., Jawaharlal Nehru University

M.A., University of Pittsburgh

Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

Vinnie Gajjala, Ph.D.

Prior to joining our faculty in 2002, Dr. Gajjala taught courses in Information Systems and Business Economics at the University of Toledo’s College of Business Administration and worked as a Financial Engineer for an energy services company in Pittsburgh, PA.

His research interests include globalization and its implications for entrepreneurship and corporate strategy in transition and emerging market economies; Privatization in transition economies; and Business in emerging economies. His paper on the role of Information and Communication Technologies in enhancing processes of Entrepreneurship and Globalization in Indian Software Companies has been published in the Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries and the IFCAI Journal of Entrepreneurship Development. He has also made several presentations at national and international conferences, including the Midwest Economics Association; Oxford Round Table, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Conferences in Toronto and Maastricht {the Netherlands); and the International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Management at the University of Hyderabad, India.

He has been a featured speaker on the Great Decisions Lecture Series, organized by the American Association of University Women at the Wood County Senior Center and the open forum sponsored by the international affairs committee of the League of Women Voters, Bowling Green, OH. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in International Trade, International Finance, Business Statistics, Managerial Economics, Managerial Finance, Microeconomics and Microeconomics.

Sushmita Ghosh, Ph.D.

Professor of Science

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Calcutta University, India

M.S., Calcutta University, India

M.E.S., Baylor University

Ph.D., Southern Illinois University

Sushmita Ghosh, Ph.D.

Dr. Ghosh joined Tiffin University in the fall of 2008 as Associate Professor of Science, after beginning her teaching career in India. Dr. Ghosh taught courses in physiology and electron microscopy at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Later she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois working in toxicology at the Veterinary School of Medicine and a Postdoctoral Research associate at Tulane University Medical Center, where she worked in the area of prostate cancer and lung cancer. Dr. Ghosh has presented her research at various scientific meetings and has published over 12 papers in reputed scientific journals.

Since 2001, Dr. Ghosh has taught in area colleges and universities in Ohio teaching a variety of courses at Terra Community College in Fremont, The University of Findlay, both Heidelberg College and Tiffin University in Tiffin. She has also developed and taught a number of seated and online classes. While teaching at Tiffin University, her courses include Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, and Oceanography at the undergraduate level and The History and Philosophy of Scientific Exploration at the graduate level.

In 2006 and 2008, Dr. Ghosh assisted with the organization and implementation of the highly successful India Study Abroad Program conducted by Tiffin University and The University of Findlay respectively. She has also served as a judge at various science fairs in Illinois and Ohio.

Rhonda Gilreath

Assistant Professor of Accounting

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

M.B.A., Tiffin University

B.B.A., Tiffin University

A.S., The University of Kentucky

Rhonda Gilreath

Professor Gilreath has been with Tiffin University as an adjunct professor since 1998 teaching accounting, economics and finance courses. She became full-time in the fall of 2008. Professor Gilreath has worked at United Way, British Petroleum Oil (BP Oil) and Cooper Tire & Rubber Company holding various positions relating to accounting and finance. In addition, she has owned and operated a tax and accounting business since 1994. She is currently pursuing a certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Professor Gilreath is an educational member of The Ohio Society of CPAs, American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

Rick A. Goeb, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Sports Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., North Dakota State University

M.A., University of Northern Colorado

Ph.D., University of North Dakota

Rick A. Goeb, Ph.D.

Before joining Tiffin University in 2017, Professor Goeb taught Sports Management at the University of Northwestern Ohio including sport marketing classes and co-lead the American Marketing Association to a first place finish in the Nation at the 2017 AMA National Conference for the Top Small Chapter in the United States.

For 12 years, Dr. Goeb served as Director of Athletics at Bemidji State University where he successfully fundraised for a 65 million dollar facility that is home to the BSU men’s and women’s NCAA Division I hockey teams. He demonstrated specialized skills in selling priority seating, club seating and suites raising revenues over 700% in one year. Under his leadership, the hockey team appeared in the 2009 Frozen Four and football, basketball and track won conference championships.

Dr. Goeb is a former NCAA National Champion wrestler and is in the North Dakota State University Hall of Fame. He was a head college wrestling coach at St. Cloud State in Minnesota. Other top accomplishments include receiving the Herb Brooks Outstanding Service Award where he has served on many active committees. One of his teaching passions is to connect students to the community to participate in event management and marketing opportunities that benefit both the Tiffin community and the student.

Dr. Goeb loves to spend time with his wife Carol and his children Amber, Anna, and Jordan. Studying all facets of sport continues to be a life-long adventure and passion.

Tiffanie Goff

Instructor of English

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

M.A., New Mexico State University

B.S., Valdosta State University

Tiffanie Goff

Drawing on over seventeen years of experience in teaching English at various levels, Tiffanie Goff is the current director of the American Language and Culture Institute (ALCI) at Tiffin University. Passionate about the English language and its possibilities for bringing different cultures together, Tiffanie Goff has spent her time at TU working with the international students to ensure their successful transition into their chosen degree programs while advancing towards a doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Toledo. Possessing both a bachelors and master’s degree in Education with a concentration in English, her past experience includes teaching and supervisory assignments within school districts in six different states from the elementary to the post-secondary level.

Mary Grennen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of English

Director of Theatre Arts

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Fordham University at Lincoln Center

M.A., Washington College

Ph.D., Union Institute & University

Mary Grennen, Ph.D.

Dr. Grennen has taught a wide variety of English courses, including all levels of writing, various literature surveys, and oral communications. With a Ph.D. in Dramatic Literature, Theory, and Criticism, she has taught various courses in dramatic literature, acting, and directing. Her doctoral dissertation, "The Nature/Nurture Dichotomy of Tragic Figures in Western Dramatic Literature," was nominated for UIU's 2005 Sussman Award.

Dr. Grennen has a long list of accomplishments in theatre. She has appeared in two off-Broadway productions, and as a musician she has sat in the orchestra pit for productions of Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Robber Bridegroom. As a director, her productions include The Dixie Swim Club, Blithe Spirit, Rumors, Bathroom Humor, The Money in Uncle George's Suitcase, A Trip to Czardis, Everybody's Doing It, and To Bobolink, for Her Spirit. Her acting experience at Fordham University at Lincoln Center includes A Midsummer Night's Dream, Jack or The Submission, Fashion, The Three Sisters, The Beggar's Opera, The Children's Hour, Icarus' Mother, A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot, Not Enough Rope, Postcards, Electra, Why Hanna's Skirt Won't Stay Down, and Action. Her community involvement includes roles in Shenandoah, Hello Dolly, The Boys Next Door, Tea and Sympathy, Dial 'M' for Murder, Angel Street, I Hate Hamlet, Two by Two, and How the Other Half Loves.

James Gucker, J.D.

Assistant Professor of Business Law

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

James Gucker, J.D.

Dr. James Gucker is an instructor of Business Law at Tiffin University and has taught graduate courses in law and ethics as an adjunct professor.

Dr. Gucker is licensed to practice Law in the state of Ohio and has been admitted to practice in the United States District Courts in the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio. Dr. Gucker has practiced law in Tiffin Ohio since 1988 and has concentrated his practice in the areas of business law, tort law, real estate and real estate planning. He was appointed by The Ohio Supreme Court as an acting Judge in the Wyandot County Municipal Court. He has been the Tiffin City Prosecutor and Assistant County Prosecutor.

The Ohio Department of Education has appointed him as a referee in teacher termination cases. He is the solicitor for the Village of Sycamore, Republic, and Marseilles. He has represented large and small corporations in Ohio. He a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Association of Justices.

Dr. Gucker also volunteers his time and legal expertise for many non-profit organizations including United Way, Seneca County Junior Fair, Tiffin Mercy Hospital, and Mohawk Community Library Foundation.

Perry Haan, D.B.A.

Professor of Marketing

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., The Ohio State University

M.B.A., Xavier University

D.B.A., University of Sarasota

Perry Haan, D.B.A.

Dr. Perry Haan has worked as a faculty member and administrator in higher education since 1986. He was won teaching awards at three different institutions of higher learning. He has taught in eight countries outside the U.S. He won the 2016-2017 Tiffin University Scholarship Award. In 2017 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach and conduct research in Nepal. In 2010 he was awarded a Fellowship by the International American Association of Financial Management for his teaching and academic work in international markets.

Haan earned his Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Sarasota, Master of Business Administration from Xavier University and Bachelor of Business Administration from The Ohio State University. He has authored or co-authored over ninety peer reviewed articles that have appeared in conference proceedings and journals, including the Journal of Marketing in Higher Education and the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship. He co-authored a textbook, Practical Statistics for Business. His research interests include entrepreneurship, international business, ethics, sales and sales management, education marketing, sports marketing, and leadership.

Joyce Hall-Yates, J.D.

Vice Provost, Dean, School of Arts & Sciences

Associate Professor of Legal Studies / Civil Rights Investigator

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Asbury College

J.D., Ohio Northern University

Joyce Hall-Yates, J.D.

Dr. Hall-Yates holds a Bachelor of Science from Asbury College and a Juris Doctorate from Ohio Northern University, and did post graduate work in law at Capital University. She practiced law in both civil and criminal cases. Many of her cases dealt with contract negotiations, IRS representation and estate planning. While practicing law, she managed the human resources role in law firms and trained personnel to fulfill the role of a paralegal within the legal services profession. She was also responsible for the management of computer technology and legal software for the law firms. Prior to coming to Tiffin University, she directed and taught classes in a paralegal education program in a two-year degree program.

She had taught both undergraduate and graduate law courses for many years as an adjunct instructor. Hancock County Chamber of Commerce presented her an Outstanding Educator award for the 2003-2004 academic year. She has presented many public educational seminars to explain difficult legal issues. She was a Research Contributor to Education Management Corporation Employee Retirement Answers for the January 2007 issue.

She is a volunteer with Bridge Home Health and Hospice. She participates in walks to raise funds for various organizations, including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Steps for Sarcoma Walk, March of Dimes Walk, and the Children’s Miracle Network Walk.

Michael Herdlick

Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Dean of Students

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Malone College

M.S., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Michael Herdlick

Michael Herdlick currently serves as the Dean of Students and Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Tiffin University. Mike has been with TU since 2001 serving in a number of capacities including Adjunct Professor, Instructor of Mathematics, Director of Institutional Research, and now in his current roles. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Liberal Arts from Malone University in Canton, Ohio, and his Master of Science in Mathematics from New Mexico Tech in Socorro, New Mexico. He also holds Graduate Certificates in Institutional Research from Florida State University and in Student Affairs/Higher Education Administration from Colorado State University.

Mike lives in Tiffin and has two children: daughter, Maddy and son Sawyer. For Dean Herdlick, “This has been and continues to be the greatest experience of my professional life. I view my role as the chief advocate for our students and someone that can hopefully mentor and guide them through their transformation at Tiffin University. My departments include Residence Life, Housing Operations, Student Engagement, and Counseling/Wellness but we all work very closely at our institution with the academic, athletic, and performing arts departments as we strive to provide an enriching and inclusive family atmosphere.”

Ben Herrick

Instructor of Music and Bands

Tiffin University Band Director

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., University of Toledo

M.M., University of Cincinnati

Ben Herrick

Professor Ben Herrick is the new Tiffin University Band Director. He has a Masters of Music Education from the University of Cincinnati, and Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Toledo, and comes to Tiffin University with twenty years teaching and band director experiences at both the college and high school levels. Professor Herrick performed professionally for various styles and genres of music, and is both a music composer and arranger.

Steven Hurwitz, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology & Criminal Justice

Washington Center Liaison

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Queens College, City University of New York

M.A., Syracuse University

Ph.D., Syracuse University

Steven Hurwitz, Ph.D.

Dr. Steven Hurwitz is originally from New York and grew up on Long Island. He earned a Bachelors in Psychology from Queens College and, after a two-year break working as a sportswriter, went to Syracuse University where he earned a Master’s and Ph.D. in Social Psychology. Dr. Hurwitz began his professional career in 1982 as an instructor in the Syracuse University Inmate Higher Education Program at Auburn Correctional Facility. After two years in the program, he went to work at Hutchings Psychiatric Center conducting program evaluation research and developing computer applications for Quality Assurance Monitoring from 1984 through 1987.

Upon leaving Hutchings, Dr. Hurwitz joined the staff of the Psycholinguistics Research Corporation where, from 1987 through 1992, he conducted quantitative and qualitative research in forensic psycholinguistics. Most of this research focused on the analysis of threatening communications to determine demographic and psychological characteristics of the author as well as assessments of their potential for violence. This work was done for the FBI, Department of Energy, and other federal, state and local agencies. In 1989, Dr. Hurwitz again returned to Auburn Correctional Facility in an expanded role of instructor, tutor and academic counselor. He remained at Auburn until1993. Immediately prior to arriving at Tiffin University in 1994, he spent a year as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Oswego.

Since joining the faculty at Tiffin, Dr. Hurwitz has been actively involved in the local community. He has been involved with, and conducted projects for, such agencies as the Tiffin City Police Department, Seneca County Sheriff: Family and Children First Council, Seneca County Sexual Assault Coalition, Seneca County Domestic Violence Coalition and Tiffin City Schools. Dr. Hurwitz's research interests are varied and have included expert testimony, juror decision-making, media influences on social perceptions, police use of Tasers, social media, the psychological effects of terrorism, and perceptions of privacy. He has made presentations at regional, national and international conferences. Dr. Hurwitz likes getting students involved in many of these projects as well as mentoring them to conduct their own, original research. Among his many roles on campus, Dr. Hurwitz serves as the Campus Liaison for The Washington Center Internship Program. He was recognized by The Washington Center as the 2012 Liaison of the Year.

Victoria Ingalls, Ed.D.

Formal & Natural Science Programs

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Sciences

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Bowling Green State University

M.A., Heidelberg College

Ed.D., Ashland University

Victoria Ingalls, Ed.D.

Upon completion of her undergraduate degree in Mathematics education at BGSU, Vicki began teaching at a local high school while earning her Masters of Education Degree from Heidelberg College. She launched her collegiate career by lecturing as an adjunct instructor at a variety of local colleges and began teaching full-time at Tiffin University in the mathematics department in 2007. Dr. Ingalls completed her doctoral education from Ashland University in the fall of 2008. She lives in Tiffin with her husband and five daughters.

Lisa Kahle-Piasecki, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Information Systems & Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D. University of Toledo

M.Ed. Business Education-Bowling Green State University

M.B.A. University of Findlay

B.A. University of Toledo

Lisa Kahle-Piasecki, Ph.D.

Dr. Lisa Kahle-Piasecki is an Associate Professor of Management and Information Systems and has served as Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Chair of the Management and Marketing areas. She joined the business faculty at Tiffin University in 2012.

Dr. Kahle-Piasecki comes to Tiffin after completing her Ph.D. with an area of concentration in human performance improvement, which is the study of and ethical practice of improving productivity and competence in organizations. Performance improvement uses scientific research principles to assess performance gaps, implement solutions, and measure the impact of solutions when implemented. A performance improvement and talent development specialist, Kahle-Piasecki is a follower of systems theory and uses a systematic approach in solving performance problems.

She is actively engaged in research and is a frequent presenter at both international and national conferences. Her current research interests and areas of expertise are in the use of technology to improve performance in the workplace and classroom, and performance interventions such as mentoring for performance improvement. She is a certified facilitator for the Global Mindset Inventory, spent a summer living and teaching in Costa Rica, and has additional international teaching experience.

In addition to teaching and research, she is a peer reviewer for the Journal of International Students, Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, on the Board of Directors of the Greater Toledo Chapter of the Association for Talent Development (GTAC ATD), the Polish American Community of Toledo (PACT), and a member of the Academy of Management, International Society for Performance Improvement, and Association for Talent Development.

She is the proud recipient of the 2016 Urban All-American Achievement Award, presented by the Central City Ministry of Toledo (CCMT). The award recognizes a graduate of a Catholic inner-city elementary school, who exhibited extraordinary achievement as an inspiration for today’s inner-city school students.

Kahle-Piasecki, L. (2013). Business in Costa Rica: Trends and Issues. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 15(2).

Kahle-Piasecki, L., Miao, C., & Ariss, S. (2012). Managers and the Mobile Device: M-Learning and M-Business-Implications for the United States and China. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 6(1), 56-68.

Kahle-Piasecki, L. (2011). Mentoring: What organizations need to know to improve performance in the 21st Century workplace. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2011). UMI No. 3474769.

Michael Kidd, Ph.D.

After high school, Michael spent 4 years in the U.S. Army Signal Corp as a Network Analysis/Administrator. After leaving the Army Michael spent the next 10 years working as a Computer Network Administrator and Penetration Tester for companies in industries such as Law, Health Care, Industrial, Service, and small business environments. Along with his education and experience, Michael currently holds certifications in IT that include CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, Microsoft SQL, and CISSP.

Mucahit Kochan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Finance

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Marmara University at Istanbul

M.S., University of Texas at Dallas

Ph.D., University of North Texas

Mucahit Kochan, Ph.D.

Before joining TU, Dr. Kochan studied and worked as a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas where he earned his doctorate. Before the Ph.D. program, he worked in financial services and real estate industries. His research interests are in the area of empirical corporate finance and investments. He is a member of the American Finance Association (AFA) and Financial Management Association (FMA).

Academic Papers:

“Bank Dividend-cuts and the Stock Market Reaction around the Great Recession” (with Mujtaba Zia), Journal of Finance Issues, Forthcoming, in the press.

Fang-Mei Law, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology & Criminal Justice

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.Ed., Changhua University of Education, Taiwan

M.Ed., Changhua University of Education, Taiwan

M.Ed., University of Wisconsin

Ph.D., Mississippi State University

Fang-Mei Law, Ph.D.

Born and raised in Taiwan, Dr. Law’s dream since childhood was to become a teacher. This dream came true when she became an instructor in the Department of Social Work at Shih-Chien University in 1983, after obtaining her M. Ed. in counseling at Changhua University of Education. During her seven years at Shih-Chien University, she was active academically and administratively on campus. Academically, she researched factors that influenced college students’ adjustment to campus life, and the psychological well-being of a low-income family. After three years, she attained the rank of associate professor and taught psychology, group practice in social work, and social work practicum. During the same period, she served as the director of extra curriculum for two years, and of the counseling center for another two years.

In order to pursue a higher level of professional development, Dr. Law relocated to the United States in 1990, obtaining a second M. Ed. from the University of Wisconsin-River Fall in 1991, and a Ph.D. from Mississippi State University (MSU) in counselor education with a minor in psychology in 1995. During her time at MSU, she worked as a counselor in the international students office and in the counseling center, and as a research assistant at the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center in Blindness and Low Vision. In addition, she also passed the examination to become a National Certified Counselor (NCC).

In 1995, Dr. Law returned to being an associate professor at Shih-Chien University in Taiwan, and was also appointed to be the director of the counseling center. One year later, Dr. Law returned to the United States, serving as the executive director of Asian American Community Services (AACS), as well as a counselor, cultural competence trainer, and interpreter trainer. AACS is a non-profit organization designed to provide prevention and intervention programs for Asian Americans in Central Ohio. During this time, she passed the examination to become a Licensed Professional Clinic Counselor (LPCC) in Ohio, and was also actively involved as a committee member for many non-profit organizations in central Ohio, such as the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, Ohio Coalition of Sexual Assault Association, the BEST program of American Cancer Society, and the American Red Cross. In these settings, Dr. Law gained significant experience working with clients and students of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Also during this time, Dr. Law served as a field instructor for the College of Social Work at the Ohio State University, as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Dayton's Department of Counselor Education and Human Services, and as an adjunct faculty member in Columbus State Community College's Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Dr. Law joined Tiffin University as an Assistant Professor in the Fall of 2005, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2010, and to Full Professor in 2016. Dr. Law has published and presented books and papers, conducted trainings regionally, nationally, and internationally focusing on topics such as student interest in research, statistics anxiety, the effectiveness of drug treatment programs, the psychological well-being of correctional officers, overcoming depression, finding hope, and acculturation issues for immigrants. Her publications and presentations, in both English and Chinese, are a testimony to her interest in research.

Dr. Law’s teaching focus at TU is psychology, teaching such courses as Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Counseling, Research Design, Multicultural Issues in Society, Abnormal Psychology, and Social Psychology at the undergraduate level, and Statistical Application to Criminal Justice, Forensic Counseling, and Advanced Psychological Assessment Theory at the graduate level in the criminal justice program. On campus, you can also find Dr. Law working very closely with international students to enhance their acculturalization a new land. She does this by teaching First-Year Experience for international students in the English as Second Language program, serving as a Faculty Advisor for the Chinese Students and Scholar Association, serving as a member of the Diversity Committee and the International Students Support Committee, and by conducting culturally-related programs for the TU community as needed.

Dr. Law is also a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Counseling Association (ACA). Her teaching goal is to draw on her multicultural and clinical experiences in the classroom to make the subject matter more enjoyable, relevant, and practical to both her undergraduate and graduate students and to fulfill their educational needs. All of this is reflected in her selection as an Excellence in Teaching award recipient at Tiffin University in 2016.

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

Michael Lewis

Michael R. Lewis is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences teaching in both the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Prior to this appointment, Lewis retired as a police officer in Northeast Ohio where he served in various positions including the detective bureau, patrol division, swat unit, and hostage negotiations unit. Throughout his career as a distinguished lawman, Lewis received extensive administrative and tactical leadership training through the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy, Metro Dade Swat Unit, Def-Tech, Secret Service, and the FBI. He also has an extensive working background in grant writing, policy, and procedural development. As a former Swat Commander he wrote policy and has evaluated international tactical commands. Lewis is a certified Hostage Negotiator and has experience in peacefully resolving many critical incidents.

Additionally, Professor Lewis has taught and lectured extensively at various police academies and specializes in civil disturbances and riot control techniques. He maintains certifications and professional affiliations in the law enforcement community. Lewis proudly served as a Gunner's Mate in the United States Navy.

Professor Lewis holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice, a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration and Management, and is completing a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration with a specialization in Homeland Security.

He has always valued the importance of formal education and has committed himself to a life of learning, growth, and public service. Additionally, Lewis was selected and successfully completed The Harvard University Kennedy School of Executive Leadership Program. He also attended the specialization program of Crisis Leadership at Harvard.

Lewis is a Certified Anti-Terrorism Specialist through the Anti- Terrorism Accreditation Board and provides consulting services to the Department of Homeland Security. He also completed the Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force Program at St. Petersburg College in Florida.

He has lectured nationally about current homeland security issues and has appeared on IGTV in New York City, Blog Talk Radio, and National Public Radio Shows as a guest speaker and contributor.

Zhaolu Lu, Ph.D.

Professor of Philosophy

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Beijing Normal University, China

Ph.D., University of Western Ontario, Canada

Zhaolu Lu, Ph.D.

Dr. Lu earned his B.A. in 1982 and taught philosophy at Beijing Normal University before moving to Canada in 1986. Prior to joining Tiffin University in 2000, he held positions of assistant Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University in Canada and Hampshire College in Massachusetts. Dr. Lu has teaching and research interest in interdisciplinary and cross-culture studies, with the emphasis on philosophy of cognitive science and Chinese philosophy. He is doing research in both western and Chinese philosophies and undertaking comparative projects. Dr. Lu has published eleven articles in peer reviewed journals and anthologies, five professional encyclopedia entries, five essays in major newspapers, and nineteen presentations at regional, national, and international conferences.

Dr. Lu is instrumental in developing China Programs at Tiffin University. These include three partnership programs between Tiffin University and Beijing Normal University - two to allow their students to enroll in TU courses and one that is a resident scholar program to bring BNU faculty members to Tiffin for a year of research. In addition and most recently, Dr. Lu has collaborated with Chinese recruiting agencies and high schools in developing two programs to recruit new Tiffin University students from China.

Alexandra Manfredo

Instructor of Voice and Commercial Music

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.M., Milliken University

M.M., University of Miami

Alexandra Manfredo

Professor Alexandra I. Manfredo has joined Tiffin University as a Instructor of Choir and Commercial Music. She has a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Music in Voice Music. Professor Manfredo has an expertise in vocal Performance: Jazz, Pop, and Contemporary, Small and Large Vocal Jazz Ensembles, songwriting, Commercial/Contemporary music ensembles, Theory/Ear Training, and Vocal Pedagogy, and teaching experience from the University of Miami and Superior Academy of Music.

Professor Manfredo was the Bandleader and writer of the "Alex Manfredo Project" performing with artists: Gretchen Parlato, Cyrille Aimee, James Newton Howard, and Shelly Berg, as well as numerous Jazz performances and awards from both the University of Miami, and Millikin University.

Thomas R. Marben

Instructor of Accounting

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

B.S. in Accounting, Davenport University

M.B.A., in Finance, Central Michigan University

CPA, State of Michigan

Thomas R. Marben

Instructor Marben joined the Tiffin University School of Business in the fall of 2017. Instructor Marben has spent a number of years working in both public and private accounting. During his time in public accounting he work at Plante Moran, as well as smaller firms totaling 7 years of experience. During his public accounting practice he worked with clients in various industries including: hospitals, schools, foundations, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, energy and various other small businesses. While working with these clients Professor Marben provided audit, tax, retirement plan audit, and general business consulting services. During his 10 years in private accounting Instructor Marben focused mostly on the oil and gas industry where he was the controller for an independent exploration and production company in Northern Michigan. He also taught Accounting and Finance courses for Davenport University and North Central Michigan College.

Instructor Marben received his undergraduate degree from Davenport University in 2003 and his MBA from Central Michigan University in 2005. He is currently pursuing his PhD with Capella University. He earned his Certified Public Accounting license from the State of Michigan in 2005, and is currently licensed by the State of Ohio.

He served the Council of Petroleum Accountants Society (COPAS) of Michigan as President, as well as the Finance Council of St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish spending 3 years as the Chairman.

Instructor Marben, enjoys running, he has completed 8 marathons including Boston (2016). He also enjoys triathlons, the longest distance he has completed is the half-ironman distance. He also enjoys hunting and camping with his family, his wife Beth and two children Emma and Jacob.

Jamie Marinis

Instructor of English

Director of Student Success & First‐Year Experience

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

M.Ed., Kent State University

B.S., Kent State University

Jamie Marinis

Jamie Marinis joined the Tiffin University family in 2005 and is currently completing her Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate certificate from Bowling Green State University. In her dual role as instructor of English as a Second Language (ESL) and coordinator of International Student Programs, Jamie interacts with international students both in and out of the classroom. She coordinates cultural events across campus including the annual International Flag Ceremony and International Dinner, which often draw hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members to campus in celebration of our globally diverse student body.

She earned her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel and her B.S. in Community Health Education from Kent State University where she was a varsity cheerleader. Jamie spent her first nine years at Tiffin University working in Enrollment Management and Student Affairs before moving to academics. She also previously served as the Head Cheerleading Coach at Tiffin University for eight years.

Born in Oregon, Ohio, Jamie currently resides in Tiffin with her husband and two children.

Michelle Maus

Chair, Healthcare Administration Program

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S. in Acute Care Administration, Ohio University

M.B.A., Cleveland University

Michelle Maus

Professor Maus has taught in higher education, both in an online and seated environment. Her career in higher education originated as an adjunct instructor in 2005. Her full-time position at Tiffin University began in 2010. She teaches business and healthcare administration courses. She developed the Associates Degree in Business with a specialization in Healthcare Administration, the Bachelors Degree in Business with a specialization in Healthcare Administration, and is currently constructing the Bachelor's of Science Degree of Healthcare Administration for Tiffin University. She has had the opportunity to work in the healthcare industry since 1991 in a variety of different capacities within hospitals, a non-profit organization, in the medical employment industry, and for a highly specialized laboratory testing facility. During her tenure at On Assignment, Inc., she received the prestigious honor of President's Club affiliation twice for outstanding marketing and sales performance. Professor Maus has acted as a reviewer for a health insurance textbook published in 2014, a peer reviewer for the annual American Public Health Association conference, and recently presented at an international conference concerning the use of supplemental instruction within an online learning environment in Orlando, FL.

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S. in Sports Management with a concentration in Exercise Science, Wilmington College

Matthew McCabe, Ph.D.

Matthew joined Tiffin University from the University of Cincinnati where he earned his doctorate in Health Education. He earned a Master of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management with a concentration in Exercise Science from Wilmington College.

Natalie McClain

Assistant Professor of Mathematics

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Middle Childhood Education, Bowling Green State University

M.A., Education, Heidelberg College

Natalie McClain

Natalie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Middle Childhood Education from Bowling Green State University in 2003. Upon graduating, she taught for 7 years in a local public school while earning her Master of Arts in Education degree from Heidelberg College in 2008. Natalie joined Tiffin University in the fall of 2011 as an adjunct instructor before being hired as a fulltime math instructor in 2012. Natalie lives in Tiffin with her husband.

Associate Professor of Marketing

Assistant Dean for the School of Business School

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

Kellie C. McGilvray, Ph.D.

Alumni, Dr. McGilvray started with Tiffin University as a part-time adjunct professor in 2003. Her full-time position started in the Fall of 2007.

During her part-time position with Tiffin University, Dr. McGilvray was the Marketing Director for a university-associated Credit Union in Toledo Ohio, where she worked for more than five years. Prior to that position she was the Marketing Manager for an Oracle software satellite office. She is the Men’s Basketball faculty sport representative, Student Adviser and Special Housing Adviser. She has taught Introduction to Marketing, Business-to-Business Marketing, Retail Management, Small Business Management, Marketing Communications, Marketing Management, Personal Selling, Buyer Behavior and Freshman Seminar. She is an active board member for the University of Toledo Federal Credit Union and a member of The Advertising Club of Toledo, American Marketing Association and American Advertising Federation. Kellie’s research interests are in higher education marketing, online learning, online satisfaction and student-centered teaching. Kellie, her Husband, Brandon, and two daughters Carlie and Braelie reside in Toledo, Ohio.

Kellie C. McGilvray, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Tiffin University with teaching concentrations in Marketing Management, Communications and Personal Selling. She has taught for over 10 years in both the undergraduate and graduate programs and both online and seated classes. Kellie’s research interests are in higher education marketing, online learning, online satisfaction and student-centered teaching. At Tiffin University, Kellie serves as the Internship director for the school of business, advisor for the Business Club, Retention Committee, Scholarship Committee and the American Marketing Association Club. Kellie also completed ACBSP peer review evaluator training.

Michelle Meadows

Assistant Professor of Education, Chair of the Masters in Education program

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, Kent State University

M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction: Emphasis in Mathematics, Kent State University

B.S. in Middle Childhood Education: Science and Mathematics, Kent State University

Michelle Meadows

Dr. Michelle L. Meadows, Assistant Professor of Education, has been with Tiffin University as an Affiliate Professor since 2015. She earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, a Master of Education degree in also in Curriculum and Instruction: Emphasis in Mathematics, and Bachelor of Science in Middle Childhood Education: Science and Mathematics, all from Kent State University.

Michelle Meadows

Assistant Professor of Education, Chair of the Masters in Education program

Michelle Meadows

Assistant Professor of Education, Chair of the Masters in Education program

Sami B. Mejri, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Science

Program Chair, General Education

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Chemistry, Bowling Green State University

M.Ed. (Science-Ed), University of Toledo

Ph.D., International and Comparative Education, North Central University

Sami B. Mejri, Ph.D.

Dr. Sami Mejri has worked in higher education for more than ten years, and is currently a full-time faculty at Tiffin University serving as Assistant Dean for graduate online programs. Dr. Mejri earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Science Education from the University of Toledo, and a Ph. D. from Northcentral University. His doctoral studies were in the area of international and comparative education. He has taught science, math, and foreign languages here and abroad, and he is a member of the international honor society.

Corri Miller

Assistant Professor of Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

M.A.E. - HRD, University of Findlay

B.B.A., University of Findlay

Corri Miller

Professor Corri Miller began with Tiffin University in the Fall of 2014 as an adjunct while also instructing at The University of Findlay within the College of Business. In 2015, she became full-time management faculty with a concentration in Human Resources. Prior to academia, Corri accrued an extensive background in the Human Resources field. For the last 16 years, she has worked in higher level, strategic Human Resource leadership roles within several Fortune 500 companies. In 2011, she was nominated and chosen to be a part of the Owens Corning Leadership Development program.

Professor Miller earned her undergrad and graduate degrees from the University of Findlay.

She is very active in her community serving on the Open Arms Domestic Violence Board, past United Way division chair, WIA Policy Board and a 2002 Hancock Leadership graduate.

In 2012, to continue her commitment to an environment of continuous learning, she opened a Human Resources consulting business. This supports her obligation to her profession, while providing continuous opportunities to bring leadership, management and human resources experiences to the classroom environment.

George Miller, D.B.A.

Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

B.B.A., Tiffin University

M.B.A., University of Findlay

M.S., South University

D.B.A., Argosy University

George Miller, D.B.A.

Dr. George Miller, an undergraduate alumni, is an Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems at Tiffin University. He started with Tiffin University as an adjunct instructor in 2012 and went full time in the fall of 2016.

Previous to his time at Tiffin University, Dr. Miller, worked as a full-time instructor, starting in 2005, at a small college in Findlay, Ohio. The duties included instructing business and technology courses and serving as the Director of Technology (DOT), overseeing their student local area network (LAN) and a liaison for the wide area network (WAN), between corporate and the local Findlay college. Prior to his time in education, Dr. Miller spent 28 years in manufacturing. He also served as a board member for the Stansanco Tiffin Works Credit Union, an auditor for the same credit union and prepares tax returns for the past 34 years.

George has lived in Tiffin his whole life and has been married to his wife Sharon for 30 years. Sharon is an adjunct instructor for accounting in the Tiffin University MBA program. The Miller’s like to travel and have spent time in all 50 states.

Sandra Miller, Ph.D.

Teresa Miller

Associate Professor of Hospitality Management & Marketing

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

M.S., Florida International University

M.B.A., Tiffin University

B.S., Bowling Green State University

Teresa Miller

Before joining Tiffin University in 1999, she spent 7 years with Tharaldson Enterprises, America’s largest independent hotel development and management company. Professor Miller traveled extensively opening Marriott, Hilton and Choice hotels across the country as a General Manager and Area Director. In 1997, she was chosen and awarded Tharaldson Enterprises’ Area Director of the Year.

Since joining Tiffin University, Professor Miller has been active on campus with the Hospitality Club. In the Spring 2006, she took 19 hospitality students to the Las Vegas International Hotel and Restaurant Show. She was published in the 8th and 9th edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Professor Miller has served on the Board of Trustees for the Seneca County Convention and Visitors since 2003. She also remains active in the community by having her Events Management and Marketing class plan real events for organizations in the community.

Professor Miller also holds a professional certification, CHA, the Certified Hotel Administrator by the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institution. Recognized worldwide, the CHA designation is the premier symbol of professional achievement for lodging executives.

Vincent Moore, Ph.D.

Professor of English

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Psychology, Oberlin College

M.A., Creative Writing, Miami University

Ph.D., English, University of Southern Mississippi

Vincent Moore, Ph.D.

Dr. Vincent Moore has worked in a number of non-academic fields and has lived in eleven states while pursuing his educational and career goals. Growing up in Oberlin, OH, he earned his B.A. in Psychology at Oberlin College (1985). He studied for an M.S. in Exercise Physiology, but instead earned an M.A. in Creative Writing at Miami University (1992). In 1998 he earned his doctorate in English (main focus: Writing; secondary areas are 20th Century American Literature, Film, and Posthuman Literary Theory) at the University of Southern Mississippi. Since 1992 he has been teaching at the college level, first as an adjunct in Maryland and New York, then full time at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and later at St. Paul’s College in Virginia before coming to Tiffin University.

Dr. Moore has been at Tiffin University since August, 2002. His teaching interests are Composition, Creative Writing, Modern and Postmodern Literature, and Film. He regularly teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with courses such as History of Film, Film Genre, The Criminal Mind in Crime Literature, Genre Fiction, Creative Writing, a seminar on Sherlock Holmes, and introductory writing courses. He's been a member of the Popular Culture Association since 2001 and has presented at their national conferences on masculinity, body dysmorphic disorder, science fiction, and posthuman theory. As a freelance writer, his work has been in Jewish Currents, Inside Kung-Fu, Black Belt Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Bulletin of Bibliography, and many other magazines and journals. He teaches the novel-writing class in the Master of Humanities program and three of his novels are available on Amazon.com.

Stephanie Opfer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of English, Chair of the Masters in Humanities program

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., in Criminal Justice and Political Science, Ohio Northern University

Ohio Teaching Certification, Bowling Green State University

M.A., in English Literature, University of Toledo

Ph.D., in English Literature, Northern Illinois University

Stephanie Opfer, Ph.D.

Dr. Stephanie Opfer earned her Ph.D. in English Literature, with a specialization in Medieval Literature, from Northern Illinois University. Her dissertation was a linguistic analysis of the Old English elegies in order to find similar characteristics shared by the poems which would lead to a more specific genre definition. She earned her Master of Arts in English at the University of Toledo and her Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Criminal Justice and Political Science, from Ohio Northern University. She also completed the teacher certification program for Integrated Language Arts at Bowling Green State University.

Prior to Tiffin University, Dr. Opfer has taught grammar, composition, and literature at the University of Toledo, Owens Community College, Northern Illinois University, Kishwaukee College, and Rock Valley College. She has also been a fellow at the National Endowment for the Humanities “Teaching Beowulf in the Context of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature” Summer Institute at Western Michigan University. In addition to composition and general literature courses, her specific teaching and research interests include Old and Middle English language, Anglo-Saxon literature (Beowulf in particular), linguistics, mythology, Chaucer, and pedagogical techniques for teaching medieval literature.

Outside of Tiffin University, Dr. Opfer occasionally participates in summer “Shakespeare in the park” productions in Fremont, Ohio, and she enjoys playing the flute in various community groups.

Stephanie Opfer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of English, Chair of the Masters in Humanities program

Stephanie Opfer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of English, Chair of the Masters in Humanities program

Shane Parendo, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Economics

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara

B.S., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities M.S., University of California, Santa Barbara

Shane Parendo, Ph.D.

After completing a Master's degree in Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Professor Parendo found his interests lied more in the area of Economics, one of his two minors as an undergraduate. At UCSB, he taught several finance classes as a graduate student while pursuing research in several fields, including Microeconomic Theory, Mathematical Economics and Game Theory.

Prior to joining Tiffn University full time in 2011, Shane was an instructor for both the University of Cincinnati and Oregon State University where he taught Introductory Macroeconomics, Introductory and Intermediate Microeconomics and a graduate class in Industrial Organization. He is a member of the American Economic Association and the Econometric Society.

Sharon Perry-Fantini, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Management

Vice Provost for Diversity & Inclusion / Title IX and 504 Coordinator

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D., Capella University

M.B.A., Tiffin University

B.B.A., Tiffin University

Sharon Perry-Fantini, Ph.D.

Professor Perry-Fantini earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Management from Capella University. She also holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Tiffin University and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Management. The British Standards Institution granted her certification as a Quality Lead Auditor for ISO 9000 in 2001. In 2000, she completed certification in Professional Human Resource Management from the University of Toledo and the Society of Human Resource Management.

She teaches courses in human resources, organizational behavior, and organizational communications. Additionally, she teaches labor relations at the community college level. Before joining the ranks of a full-time faculty member, she served as the Executive Director of Degree Completion Admissions. During her tenure, the number of students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree completion programs in business administration and criminal justice increased by 49% in two years. Additionally, geographic expansion and online delivery increased. She served several organizations in positions such as, human resources, trainer, benefits coordinator, lead auditor, radio script writer, and voice talent.

She is a member of the Terra State Community College Advisory Board. Previously, she was an executive board member of the Lorain County Urban League and a member of the Ohio Transfer Council. She has also served on Tiffin University’s Strategic Planning Committee, Portal Committee, Website Redesign Committee, and Information Technology Committee.

Her research interests include social development centered on the concept of identity by Erik Erikson, structural diversity, organizational transformation, classroom diversity, democracy outcomes, and adult learning theory. Her mission which fully fosters reflective thinking allows learners the opportunity to think about complex challenges or issues from different perspectives.

Pete Piraino, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Security Studies

Department Chair Criminal Justice Graduate Programs

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, Walden University

M.A., Governors State University

B.S., Western Illinois University

Pete Piraino, Ph.D.

Pete Piraino joined Tiffin University as a full-time Instructor in January, 2012. Professor Piraino teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in criminal justice and homeland security. Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member, he served at Tiffin as an adjunct instructor for three years.

Professor Piraino recently retired from the United States Secret Service, as Resident Agent in Charge of its Toledo Resident Office, overseeing Secret Service operations for the 21 counties of Northwest Ohio. Throughout his 23-year career with the Secret Service, he served in a variety of protective and investigative assignments that have taken him to over 40 countries on six continents.

Some of his managerial assignments in the Secret Service included positions in the Vice Presidential Protective Division in Washington, D.C. under then Vice President Cheney, as Protective Detail Leader for Mary Cheney, the daughter of the Vice President, and in the Intelligence Division. Professor Piraino also served in the Secret Service's Presidential Protective Division under Presidents Clinton and Bush.

Prior to his 12-year assignment in Washington, D.C., Professor Piraino served as Special Agent in the Chicago Field Office of the Secret Service investigating a variety of federal criminal violations including counterfeit currency, financial fraud, and threats against Secret Service protected persons. While assigned to the Chicago Field Office, he served as a supervisor on a year-long multi-agency undercover task force investigating USDA food stamp fraud throughout the Chicago area.

Prior to joining the Secret Service, Professor Piraino was a Special Agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (now the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) investigating arson for profit and federal firearms violations. Prior to that, he was a police officer in suburban Chicago for eight years.

Professor Piraino received a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Governors State University, University Park, Illinois. Professor Piraino earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. He is the recipient of numerous awards and citations throughout his 33 years as a sworn law enforcement officer.

Bradley Rees

Assistant Professor of Music

Music Department Director

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., George Mason University

B.Mus., George Mason University

M.Mus., University of Northern Colorado

Bradley Rees

Brad Rees serves as Director of the Tiffin University Music Department, where he coordinates TU's new ProMusic degree program, and also directs the award-winning a cappella ensemble Up in the Air, conducts University Choirs, and teaches voice, music theory, and music production & engineering. A leader in contemporary a cappella and vocal jazz education for two decades, Brad has served as the Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Colorado, on the faculty at Iowa's School for Music Vocations, and on the jazz faculty at Bowling Green State University.

A frequent clinician at vocal music festivals across the US and Canada, he is a regular judge for ICCA, ICHSA and show choir competitions throughout the Midwest, and has served on the faculty of Halewyn Jazz Workshop in Belgium and many other summer workshops and camps. His ensembles have appeared across the United States and Canada, at the Salzburg Music Festival in Austria, at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and on tour in the Republic of China, Germany, the Czech Republic, and South Africa. His choirs have also performed on several national TV broadcasts.

His own performing credits include appearances with Ben Folds, Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra, Joe Williams, George Shearing, African gospel artist Rebecca Malope, and others. He sang with the Grammy-nominated vocal jazz quintet, The Axidentals, with Phil Mattson’s Voices, and in residence at the Smithsonian Institution.

Brad is currently completing a DMA from Boston University, received a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Northern Colorado, and holds degrees in music and public relations from George Mason University in Virginia. He has served in leadership positions for the Ohio chapters of IAJE and ACDA, and his compositions and arrangements are available through UNC Jazz Press.

Nicholas Reinhard

Assistant Professor of Social Sciences

Director First-Year Studies

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Heidelberg College

M.A., Bowling Green State University

M.Ed., Bowling Green State University

Nicholas Reinhard

Professor Reinhard is an Instructor of Social Sciences within the School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences. A graduate of Hopewell-Loudon, Professor Reinhard is a life-long resident of rural Tiffin, OH. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Social Studies Education, 7-12 from Heidelberg College. He then went on to earn two graduate degrees from Bowling Green State University: a Master of Arts degree in Popular Culture and a Master of Education degree in Human Movement, Sport, and Leisure Studies.

Professor Reinhard is a familiar face within the Tiffin University community, having served in various positions throughout the university including adjunct faculty member teaching in all TU schools, success coach, and Coordinator of Student Outreach in Student Affairs during his first two years at the university.

In the local community, he is actively involved in the Bascom United Methodist church, serving as the director of the Ecumenical Vacation Bible School, Board Member, and Bell Choir Director. He also volunteers with F.A.C.T. (Financial Assistance for Cancer Treatment) of Seneca County in addition to spending time with family and friends.

Professor Reinhard currently teaches various courses within the School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences, teaching a great deal of courses required for the Leadership Studies minor as well as advising many of the students that choose to advance their knowledge of leadership skills and theory in conjunction with their major field of study. In addition to teaching within the Leadership Studies program, he also assists in the oversight of the F. J. Miller Leadership Society, a collaborate effort between Academic and Student Affairs. Professor Reinhard also serves as the advisor to student organizations Tailor Made Swagg and the Saudi Student Organization.

Professor Reinhard’s current research interests include popular culture and media studies, theories of everyday living, culinary tourism, and race, gender, and sexuality studies, as well as best practices in leadership development.

Professor Reinhard is a proud member of the Tiffin University and a staunch supporter of student engagement inside and outside the classroom. Go Dragons!

Mark Sabo, Ph.D.

Professor of Forensic Science and Chemistry

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., University of South Florida

Ph.D., Michigan State University

Mark Sabo, Ph.D.

Dr. Sabo enjoys teaching at the college level and has over 20 years of experience in teaching traditional chemistry courses as well as non-traditional multidisciplinary courses such as Forensic Science, Caveman Chemistry, Consumer Applications of Chemistry, Marine Science, and Food Science. He is very excited to be at Tiffin University and hopes his experience below will help students be empowered to value their education and become lifelong-learners, develop their maximum potential, and reach their career goals “ for productive and satisfying lives of excellence, leadership and service” (Tiffin University Mission).

Dr. Sabo joined Tiffin University in August of 2014. He holds a B.A. degree in Chemistry from the University of South Florida and a Ph. D. degree in Analytical Chemistry from Michigan State University. For sixteen years before coming to Tiffin University, Dr. Sabo was at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC where he served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry, the Swink Professor for Outstanding Classroom Teaching, and Director of the Catawba Analytical Research Laboratory (CARL). While at Catawba, Dr. Sabo spent many summers as a Visiting Scientist in the Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy in Quantico, VA. He helped develop and improve instrumental techniques used by the FBI and teach courses for domestic and international crime lab personnel. From 1994 – 1998, Dr. Sabo served Assistant to the Director of the Center for Chemistry Education and Visiting Associate Professor at Miami University where he was responsible for faculty enhancement, curriculum and materials development, student enrichment programs, networking, and program evaluation in the area of chemical technology. From 1990 – 1994 he worked at Quantum Chemical Corporation to develop new analytical methodologies to solve a variety of industrial problems. During his time at Quantum Chemical, he served as industrial mentor and instructor for Miami University’s Partners for Terrific Science industrial/academic program.

Jan H. Samoriski, Ph.D.

Professor of Communication

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Radford University

M.S., Radford University

Ph.D., Bowling Green State University

A.S.N., Excelsior College

Jan H. Samoriski, Ph.D.

Dr. Jan Samoriski joined the Tiffin University faculty in 2006 after ten years at the University of Michigan - Dearborn where he taught electronic media and served as Communications Chair and Director of Communications Program. At Tiffin University Samoriski has held appointments as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Dean of Graduate Studies.

Samoriski earned his undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism from Radford University and worked as a television producer and director at NBC-TV affiliates in Virginia and Massachusetts. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Corporate and Professional Communication (Radford University) and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication with an emphasis in telecommunications law and technology (Bowling Green State University).

Samoriski teaches across the communications curriculum in several areas, including speech, organizational, mass communication, electronic media, media production and cyberspace law. He is author of numerous academic peer reviewed publications dealing with Internet issues pertaining to unsolicited commercial e-mail, electronic privacy, encryption, broadcast regulation and Internet indecency and obscenity. He is also author of one of the first communication textbooks to focus on cyberlaw, "Issues in cyberspace: Communication, Technology, Law and Society on the Internet Frontier,' published by Allyn and Bacon.

In addition to his academic background, Samoriski is a Registered Nurse (RN), Paramedic, Level II Firefighter, Master Scuba Driver and General Class Amateur Radio Operator. He has training and experience in emergency services and response, bioterrorism and hazardous materials.

Samoriski is active professionally as a freelance writer and communications consultant. He is also a practicing Emergency Department RN.

Nathan Santos

Instructor of Music

Director of Commercial Music - Instrumental

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.M., Wilkes University

M.M., University of Miami

Nathan Santos

Professor Santos is the Director of Instrumental Commercial Music at Tiffin University in Ohio. Awarded the 2013-14 “Faculty Member of the Year”, he directs the touring group, DFX, which has visited areas throughout PA, Ohio, New York and North Carolina. He also has assembled the TU Big Dragon Band, directs the Concert Choir, and teaches various courses including Advanced Musicianship, Analysis of Music, Rhythm Section Methods, Pedagogy, Music Appreciation, and an interdisciplinary cultures course focused on the Canadian progressive rock band, Rush. He also teaches bass, guitar, and jazz piano, and is a primary piano accompanist for ensembles and students.

Mr. Santos is originally from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He received his B.M. from Wilkes University (1992) as a music performance major, with an emphasis in bass and voice. He received his M.M. in Studio Jazz Performance from the University of Miami, Florida (1994) where he also studied with Dr. Lucas Drew. He has previously served on the faculties of Indiana University of PA, St. Francis University, Penn State University, Main Campus and the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown.

He has actively participated in PMEA events including guest conductor for District Jazz Choirs in Districts 6, 8, and 9. He was a guest clinician in the PMEA State Conference in Hershey, PA, collaborating with respected vocal educator, Elizabeth Good, in a seminar entitled, “Cooking Up Some Vocal Jazz: Appetizers to a Full Course Meal,” and also in the State Conference in Pittsburgh, PA demonstrating the versatility of the bass.

As a 20-year former resident of Johnstown, he served as Principal Bass of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, regularly performed with Jazz In Your Face Big Band, Acousticity, Soy Bomb, Brex, and White Noise. He served as Co-Director of Music Ministry at Westmont Presbyterian Church from 1999-2012. He has shared the stage with such notable performers as Bernadette Peters, Ben Folds, Joe Morello, Olivia Newton-John, Sherryl Milnes, Lou Christie, John Blake, Jr., George Young, Marvin Stamm, Scott Lavender, Mike Tomaro, Andy Narell, Dave Samuels, Five By Design, River City Brass, Steve Fidyk, Ed Soph, Jonathan Kreisberg, Carrie Tillis, and many others. He has been a pit musician in many musical theater productions for organizations including the Mountain Playhouse (Jennerstown, PA), and various high schools throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio. He has appeared on several recordings including Family Arts Theatre, Terminal Degree, Stanley Chepaitis, Mark Weakland and Rachel Allen, which can be found on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby.

John Schupp, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Cleveland State University

Ph.D., Chemistry, Cleveland State University

John Schupp, Ph.D.

Dr. Schupp has twenty-five years experience in the synthetic crystal industry, from 1980 to 2005. In which time he received four patents in the area being granted in 2002.
Dr. Schupp started a student veteran program at Cleveland State in Fall 2006, and since 2009, he has spoken to over 600 campuses nationwide regarding veteran education.
Dr. Schupp helped write, pass and fund legislation for a FIPSE grant in 2010 which provided $6M in grants to over twenty campuses nationwide for veteran education.
Dr. Schupp is the winner of the Zachary Fisher Humanitarian of the Year award from the Department of Defense.

David Selnick

Vice Provost, Dean School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences

Assistant Professor of Intelligence and Security Studies

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S.B.A., Bowling Green State University

M.O.D., Bowling Green State University

M.A., Royal Military College of Canada

Ph.D. candidate, Newcastle University

David Selnick

Professor Selnick joined Tiffin University in January 2013. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in the United States Air Force, performing duty as a Cyberspace Operations officer, a Logistics officer, and a Politico-Military specialist. Professor Selnick served in numerous locations across the United States, as well as several foreign countries.

During his time in the Air Force, Professor Selnick spent four years in Ottawa, Canada, as a Foreign Exchange Officer with the Canadian Forces, serving in a semi-diplomatic capacity. He also served in Baghdad, Iraq, as part of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, where he helped plan, execute, and manage the largest logistical movement of U.S. troops and materiel since World War II--including subsistence products worth over $3 billion per year. As a result of his efforts, he was awarded the Lance P. Sijan USAF Leadership Award at the Major Command level. Professor Selnick later served as a communications officer for Special Operations Command Central, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries in the Middle East as part of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. His responsibilities included tactical and base-level communications for Special Operations Forces in the entire U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility. In 2007, US Central Command named him the Communications Officer of the Year. Professor Selnick's last assignment prior to retiring from the Air Force was as the Chief of Cyber Security Strategy and Planning at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. There, he was responsible for numerous efforts, including working cooperatively with our defense industry partners to better protect their networks from cyber espionage and with the Intelligence Community to determine the damage that resulted (in terms of dollars, technological knowledge, and the development of countermeasures) from cyber intrusions. He also worked extensively with offices across the service to reorganize the way the Air Force manages cryptography.

He is a contributor to an ongoing joint effort between the US Army Cultural Resources program and the University of Colorado's Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands to develop and publish the first Cultural Heritage Guide for Field Commanders.

Professor Selnick is a member of the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House), an independent policy institute based in London, UK; the US Committee of the Blue Shield; the Archaeological Institute of America and its Cultural Heritage Military Panel; the Combatant Command Cultural Heritage Working Group; the Society for Military History; the Air Force Association; and the Jane Austen Society of North America. He is also a certified Project Management Professional ® through the Project Management Institute.

Professor Selnick has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a concentration in Management Information Systems from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Organization Development degree, also from BGSU, a Master of Arts in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Museum, Gallery, and Heritage Studies from Newcastle University, where he is researching the legal and moral obligations regarding the protection of cultural property during a time of conflict.

Teresa Shafer, Ph.D.

Vice President for Institutional Planning and Effectiveness

Professor of Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D., Bowling Green State University

M.A., Bowling Green State University

B.A., Ohio State University

Teresa Shafer, Ph.D.

Dr. Shafer began her academic career at The Ohio State University's Marion campus. During her tenure, she served as an Admissions and Financial Aid Officer and Public Relations Director. Upon completion of her master's degree, she joined the Shelby Insurance Company and served nearly ten years in various corporate positions including Public Relations, Sales, Marketing and Underwriting.

Dr. Shafer joined Tiffin University in 1993 as an adjunct professor. In 1996, she became the Director of the Elyria Academic Center and was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Fast Track degree completion program in Organizational Management. She joined the full-time faculty as Dean of Arts and Sciences in 1999. In 2005 she took over as Dean of Assessment and Accreditation and successfully orchestrated reaccreditation visits with the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, European Council on Business Education and American Council of Business Schools and Programs garnering the maxirimm reaffirmations allowed by all four accreditation agencies. Dr. Shafer is considered an accreditation specialist and serves the Higher Learning Commission as a Peer Reviewer as a visiting team member and distance education reviewer. In 2011 she became Associate Dean of International Business Programs and currently serves as a Professor of Management. Dr. Shafer is also a member of the TU Graduate Faculty Senate.

As an organizational behavior scholar, Dr. Shafer's work includes research into corporate mergers and downsizing and how these activities impact human capital and efficiencies. She has published and presented her research at numerous conferences both regionally and nationally. Dr. Shafer's consulting experience is extensive as she works with both national and international companies with respect to human resource training, executive coaching, strategic planning and budgeting. She also serves the higher learning community as a pedagogical mentor to various faculty members and institutions across the nation. Dr. Shafer is a member of several professional organizations and serves on a number of local program boards.

Jeffry Stockner, J.D.

Professor of Business Law & Criminal Justice

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Bowling Green State University

J.D., Ohio Northern University

Jeffry Stockner, J.D.

Dr. Stockner has maintained a private law practice since his graduation from law school and start at Tiffin University in 1985. He has been a criminal defense attorney, municipal prosecutor, and most recently Chief Civil Prosecutor for the Seneca County Prosecutor's Office for over 19 years, representing county officials and employees (including the Sheriff and Seneca County Jail) in their elected and administrative capacities. Included in his responsibilities as Chief Civil Prosecutor, Dr. Stockner issued formal opinions regarding ethical issues and administrative law.

An acknowledged book reviewer for a nationally published law text, Professor Stockner has been selected by the Ohio Supremes Court Board of Bar Examiners as one of 25 professors, attorneys, prosecutors, and judges to review Ohio's Bar Exam testing methods. His undergraduate degree is in education.

He was selected Faculty Member of the Year at TU in 1998-1999, again in 2002-2003, and yet again in 2014-1015. Dr. Stockner was recognized in Ohio Magazine in 2003 as being one of the 100 best educators in Ohio. He is a Past President of the Ohio Council of Criminal Justice Education and has presented several papers nationally, including at the American Criminal Justice Society and American Society of Criminology annual conferences.

Dr. Stockner served as Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and National Security from 2011-2015, and as the School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences Internship Co-ordinator from 2015-2017. He is currently the advisor for TU’s chapter (Alpha Epsilon Kappa) of Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society.

Terry D. Sullivan, J.D.

Vice Provost, Dean, School of Business

Associate Professor of Business Law & Finance

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

J.D., Ohio Northern University

M.B.A., Bowling Green State University

B.S.B.A., Bowling Green State University

Terry D. Sullivan, J.D.

Dr. Sullivan began his career with Tiffin University in January of 1991 as Director of the Lima Program. In May of 2000, Dr. Sullivan earned his J.D. from Ohio Northern University, at which time, he joined the full-time faculty teaching in the areas of Law and Finance. In addition, during his 16 years with Tiffin University, Dr. Sullivan has also taught undergraduate courses in the areas of economics, management and marketing.

He has served as the Chair of the Accounting, Economics, Finance and Law Department, as well as on the Athletic and the Curriculum Committees at the University. For five seasons, he was the Head Men’s Tennis Coach. Dr. Sullivan currently serves as the faculty advisor to the University’s Investment Club.

Prior to arriving at Tiffin University, Dr. Sullivan worked for Whirlpool Corporation. In addition, he worked as a Mutual Fund and Insurance Representative selling Long-Term Care Insurance, and advising individuals on their mutual funds, IRA’s, Keoghs, 401(K) plans, 403(B) plans as well as annuities.

His favorite past time is spending time with his wife and two children.

Bonnie S. Tiell, D.S.M.

Professor of Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

M.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Sports Administration

B.S., Troy University – Physical Education N-12

Bonnie S. Tiell, D.S.M.

Bonnie Tiell, who earned her Doctor of Education degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy (USSA), is a professor of sport management at Tiffin University. She has been widely recognized for her contributions to intercollegiate athletic administration and global sports governance. Tiell is the founder and co-director of the Olympic Academic Experience (OAE), a program through Tiffin University that offers students from around the world the opportunity for on-site study of the organization, supervision, and management of international sport venues and elite competition in an Olympic host city. She is also co-founder of a humanitarian program for underprivileged youth in Olympic host cities with two-time Olympian, Dr. Francis Dove-Edwin, who serves as co-director.

Tiell received Tiffin University’s Provost award in 2017, the highest recognition for faculty at the institution. In 2016, she was recognized as Woman of the Year in Sports by the Cleveland Chapter of Women in Sports and Events (WISE). In the same year, it was the second time she was the recipient of the Region 4 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Tiell also received the Donahue Service Award in 2013 from NCAA II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.

In 2014, Tiell was named USSA Alumnus of the Year. She currently serves as a member of the Academy’s National Faculty, a prestigious group of educators who teach international sport administration and coaching programs abroad. In 2017, Tiell participated in the Academy’s program to teach sports management to students from the Sports Authority of Thailand in Bangkok. She taught the Academy’s International Certification in Sports Management program, which prepares participants for leadership roles in sport. In 2018, she is administering a similar program for the Federation of Disabled Sports in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Tiell is also co-founder of the Women’s Leadership Symposium, a program partially financed and now administrated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Women Leaders in College Sports. The three-day program facilitates the entry, retention, and advancement of females in intercollegiate athletics.

A published scholar of almost 100 articles and manuscripts, Tiell authored a textbook for Jones & Bartlett on “Human Resources in Sports: A Managerial Approach” in 2017. The book features best practices, case studies, global spotlights and industry voices from respected executives from every facet of the sports industry. Tiell has traveled across five continents speaking and delivering sport education programs.

Tiell is spearheading a “Salute to Olympians” week in Tiffin, Ohio in 2018 which will feature a slate of activities involving Olympic athletes and coaches from multiple countries. She led a group of 17 students and scholars in the 4th Olympic Academic Experience during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil highlighted by programs at the Olympic Reunion Center, the Brazilian Sailing Federation Headquarters, and at the 8th International Sport Business Symposium which featured executives from the IOC and local organizing committees. The Salute to Olympians Week will coincide with the opening of registration for participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Academic Experience.

In her faculty role at Tiffin University, Tiell served as the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative, Dean of Graduate Studies, and MBA Chair. She also taught in the Executive MBA program in Bucharest, Romania. Prior to her faculty appointment, Tiell served as Senior Woman Administrator and an assistant athletic director. She is a member of the TU Hall of Fame for her extensive coaching accolades. She has coached volleyball, softball (1993 national qualifier), and tennis (2006 national qualifier) for Tiffin University. She also coached briefly at Alfred University in New York (volleyball and track) and at Peace College in North Carolina (basketball - assistant).

Tiell she holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Troy University, a master’s degree in sports administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate in Sports Management from the USSA. She writes a monthly column for the Advertiser-Tribune focusing on economic, global, and social issues in sport. She and her husband, Greg, reside in Tiffin, OH. Their oldest daughter (Kimberly) is a sales manager in Atlanta, GA and their youngest (Katie) is a student-athlete (swimming) studying communications and emerging media while minoring in sport management at Lynn University in Boca, Raton, FL.

Colleen Vallo, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Communication

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.A., Wright State University

M.A., Ohio State University

Ph.D., Bowling Green State University

Colleen Vallo, Ph.D.

Dr. Colleen Vallo has been a member of the faculty at Tiffin University since 2006. She teaches courses in communication and journalism at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Vallo is also adviser of the campus newspaper. Before joining our faculty, Dr. Vallo taught at the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University. She previously worked in journalism reporting for weekly and daily newspapers, serving as a state-house correspondent in Columbus and working in public relations for public schools. Her teaching specialties include mass communication law, critical analysis of the media, and intercultural communication.

Joseph Van Kerkhove

Assistant Professor of Art

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.F.A., Columbus College of Art and Design

M.F.A., Indiana University

Joseph Van Kerkhove

Professor Van Kerkhove holds a M.F.A. in Printmaking from Indiana University and a B.F.A. from The Columbus College of Art and Design. He has taught fine art courses at Tiffin University since 2011. He is a printmaking and ceramic artist that responds to personal experiences through imagery and process. His artworks have been exhibited in a variety of venues nationally and internationally. Galleries in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio currently represent his art. Joseph participated in the Summer Print Program at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia, Italy. Joseph is currently a member of The National Art Education Association that advances visual arts education to fulfill human potential and promote global understanding for visual art educators.

Emily Van Wasshenova, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science

School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

Ph.D., in Health Education, The University of Toledo

M.S., in Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University

B.S., in Health Fitness, Central Michigan University

Emily Van Wasshenova, Ph.D.

Professor Van Wasshenova earned a master's degree in Health and Exercise Science from Colorado State University and a bachelor's degree in Health Fitness from Central Michigan University. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Education at The University of Toledo. Prior to teaching at Tiffin, she was an instructor at The University of Toledo.

Professor Van Wasshenova has practical experience in cardiac rehabilitation and stress testing. She is an active member in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Public Health Association (APHA). Additionally, she is an ACSM certified Personal Trainer and Cancer Exercise Trainer. Her research focuses on health behaviors, specifically physical activity initiation/maintenance and nutrition behavior.

Charles (Mike) White, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor Criminal Justice

School of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences

Degrees & Certificates

B.S., Cleveland State University

M.S., University of Cincinnati

Ph.D., Capella University

Charles (Mike) White, Ph.D.

Dr. Charles “Mike” White currently works as an associate professor at Tiffin University. He is a certified polygraph examiner with specialties not only in polygraph examination but also in training and advising local and international police officers. Dr. White developed the search and seizure training for United Nations officers in Liberia West Africa and assisted in the development of curriculum at the Baghdad Police College in Iraq. He is a former detective as the Norwalk Ohio police department and served 8 years as the chief of the Monroeville Ohio police department. Dr. White was also served as the in country program director for American Rule of Law team in Liberia West Africa.

White has published articles on cost-benefit analysis and police ethics. He also in an interested in the effect of education on policing as well as interviewing and interrogation, having completed studies in both areas. He received his bachelor’s degree in public administration from Cleveland State University and his master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. White received his PhD from Capella University.

Degrees & Certificates

Ali I. Yurekli, Ph.D.

Dr. Yurekli has been working in the information security field since late 1990’s. He has taken research, consulting and management roles at Informatics and Information Security Research Center, which is the national technical authority in Turkey for development and testing of information and communications security systems. He has then acted as Information Security Coordinator at OCCAR A400M Military Transport Aircraft Programme Division in Toulouse, France for nearly five years. His latest assignment before joining Tiffin University was Visiting Post-Doctoral Researcher at MPACT (Mobile, Pervasive and Autonomous Communication Technologies) and ADWISE (Advanced Wireless and Security) Labs at Florida International University. He has also taught information security and telecommunication networks courses in Florida.

Wendy Ziems-Mueller, D.M.

Associate Professor of Management

School of Business

Degrees & Certificates

D.M., ABD, Organizational Leadership, University of Phoenix

M.B.A., Finance/Executive Leadership, Heidelberg University

B.S., Heidelberg University

Wendy Ziems-Mueller, D.M.

Dr. Wendy Ziems-Mueller is a fulltime Associate Professor of Management/Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs for the School of Business. Previously, Wendy served as the Program Chair for the BA in Professional Studies for Degree Completion, the BBA Program Chair for Degree Completion and the Dean of Associate’s Degree Programs for Tiffin University. Wendy has extensive higher education administration experience overseeing associate level and bachelor level programs. Before Tiffin, Wendy was the Dean of Academics for an occupational college in Toledo for 8 years and was responsible for programs in Business, Criminal Justice, Medical Programs, Legal Studies, Veterinary Technician Programs and General Studies. Wendy served at the Dean level for more than 10 years where she was responsible for more than 150 fulltime staff and adjunct faculty, managed curriculum, course development, and operations for colleges and universities.

Wendy teaches Leadership, Organizational Theory and Behavior, Business, Management, Marketing, and Ethics. Additionally, she has taught previously both online and in a traditional seated capacity for various colleges and universities. Wendy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration focusing in finance and accounting and a Masters of Business Administration from Heidelberg University. She completed her Doctorate of Management in Organizational Leadership Degree in October of 2011 with an approved dissertation in strategic planning and higher education administration.

Outside of academia, Wendy participates heavily in philanthropy and non-profit administration. She has served on several Nonprofit Boards. Most recently, she served as the 2015-2017 President of the Junior League of Toledo and has participated extensively in the Latino community in Toledo, Ohio. Wendy believes paying it forward and community service is necessary by everyone in the community and believes success comes from hard work and giving. Support and volunteering from “womb to death” is a motto she lives by. Her experience in business management, human resources and leadership has led to her sharing that knowledge with her teaching and non-profit management.

Wendy is married to Axel and they have 4 children, Meagan, Lauren, Zachary and Elizabeth and reside in Perrysburg, Ohio. Wendy loves to read and write fiction; she loves to travel and spend time with her family; but most of all she loves the education industry and teaching. Wendy believes that education is a lifelong journey that builds on intellectual discovery and stimulates growth of the integrated student.